Fare refunds offered after track defect caused Metro mayhem

Metro passengers are to be offered a refund after a day of disruption caused by a track defect.

Metro passengers are to be offered a refund after a day of disruption caused by a track defect.

Teams of engineers were called in after a problem was spotted in the tunnel between Haymarket and Jesmond in the early hours of the morning.

But that meant thousands of commuters faced a long and frustrating journey to work, as the network twice ground to a halt - between 7.40am and 8.05am, then again between 9.50am and 10.10am - to allow a temporary fix.

Many passengers took to social networking websites to criticise the system, which has seen a number of outages in recent days.

But problems persisted throughout the day as attempts were made to clear a backlog of trains - with some rush hour services between Pelaw and Regent Centre cancelled and a temporary speed restriction around the broken track.

A Metro spokesman apologised to passengers and said that anyone delayed by more than 15 minutes could have a refund for their journey.

"We are extremely sorry for the disruption to Metro services on Friday morning,” he said.

“It was vital that the rails were inspected to assess the defect and this meant stopping Metro trains so that the workers could get access to the tunnel.

"The knock on effect was delays right across the system.

“Trains were running but not to timetable and passengers will have experienced a much longer wait than usual.

"When incidents like this arise it is vital that the rails are checked thoroughly before trains can be allowed to run.”

Last night engineers re-entered the tunnel in an attempt to install a more permanent solution to the track defect.

To claim a refund email contactus@twmetro.co.uk.

Anyone with a season ticket can claim a refund to the value of a single ticket for the journey made.

Vouchers will then be issued which can be exchanged for Metro tickets or a cash refund will be offered if preferred.

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